ICYMI: State Should Focus on Roads Instead of Creating Retirement Plans

"Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de León’s Senate Bill 1234 – or the Secure Choice Act – is a noble effort to impose a defined contribution plan into your budget, but it is neither 'secure' nor a 'choice.' Hold onto your wallet.'"

"You know that you should be setting funds aside for your retirement. Some employers may do this for you as an employee benefit, usually in a 401(k) plan, through employee withholdings. The state is proposing to provide a similar plan through withholdings from your paycheck. But are you able to take a reduction in your net paycheck?"

"As a result, your take-home pay will be reduced because a compassionate and paternalistic bureaucracy is stepping in to “help you.” Never mind that you have other expenses to address."

"We are told your funds will be invested in U.S. Treasury bills. This investment has historically been safe, but it is lackluster. Don’t expect to get back a whole lot more than you put in."

"In the meantime, the state will have established yet another bureaucracy...a pension plan strategy that is nowhere close to what you’ve sacrificed to build over the years."

"With poorly maintained roads, severely underfunded pensions and a high-speed rail boondoggle, the Legislature has plenty of fixing to do before it pursues another “do good and feel good” social program."